A Fresh Editorial: “Menendez Behind Bars—But the Foreign Beneficiaries of His Schemes Still Reap Rewards”

August 2025

Bob Menendez’s conviction and imprisonment mark a dramatic fall from grace for one of New Jersey’s most prominent political figures. Once a respected U.S. senator and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez now serves an 11-year prison sentence—a stern rebuke for abusing public trust and leveraging legislative power for personal gain.

Numerous sources have reached out to Hudson County Truth over the last several weeks and are claiming that Bob Menendez is still running The New Jersey political machine behind prison bars, just like mafia bosses do when they get into prison.

First claimed that Bob Menendez is still working as if nothing has changed that he is still in charge.

A number of those sources are saying that Union City, New Jersey Mayor and State Senator Brian Stack is doing a major behind the scenes power-play move to try to take over completely from Bob Menendez once and for all, so he can effectively run the Hudson County and New Jersey political machine.

Also, Menendez’s incarceration addresses only part of the problem. The deeper, more concerning issue lies with the foreign and domestic actors who orchestrated and profited from his corruption. While Menendez pays the price, the enduring networks that facilitated his misconduct remain intact—and continue to thrive.

The Corruption Network Beyond Menendez

Key players in the scandal—New Jersey businessmen like Wael Hana and Fred Daibes—used Menendez’s influence to secure lucrative monopolies, favorable treatment in criminal investigations, and access to U.S. military aid through foreign governments  . Despite being convicted alongside Menendez and receiving substantial prison sentences, it’s unclear whether their foreign partners—particularly in Egypt—face any accountability.

The involvement of Egyptian officials in U.S. diplomatic and trade matters, facilitated through Menendez, signals a troubling exploitation of American governance mechanisms for foreign gain. Yet, press coverage has focused largely on the U.S. consequences—rarely on whether Egypt or its proxies have been investigated or sanctioned in turn.

Why the “Bribers” Are Still Cashing In

Lack of International Accountability The U.S. legal system has shown little appetite for pursuing foreign nationals or governments implicated in domestic corruption schemes. While Menendez and his associates were punished, the foreign beneficiaries remain untouched. Structural Vulnerabilities Remain Unaddressed Without proactive reforms, foreign actors can still exploit legislative access and influence—forwards and donations to policymakers, consultancy contracts, lobbying—all go unchecked. Weak Global Oversight Diplomatic channels and international oversight bodies lack teeth when it comes to enforcing standards of influence-peddling. Foreign governments can mask their engagement in corrupt acts through layers of intermediaries.

What Needs to Change Now

Expanded International Corruption Enforcement: U.S. authorities should pursue cross-border investigations of foreign participants and explore sanctions where appropriate. Tighter Regulations on Foreign Lobbying: Strengthen and enforce laws such as FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act), with penalties for domestic and foreign actors alike. Transparency Measures: Require lawmakers to fully disclose contacts with foreign officials and tighten conflict-of-interest disclosures—especially for those in sensitive committees. Global Collaboration: Encourage partnerships between U.S. prosecutors and foreign counterparts to jointly investigate and hold accountable all parties involved, regardless of nationality.

Menendez’s prison sentence might satisfy the call for justice, but it’s only the tip of an iceberg. The real risk lies in complacency. Unless we dismantle the systems and relationships that empowered this corruption—including the untouchable foreign beneficiaries—we risk repeating the same costly mistakes.